Dvorkovich Team 2022

We have got many friends, but this year’s special “Friend of FIDE” - Chairman of IndianOil, Mr Shrikant Madhav Vaidya.

Mr. vaidya has received the ‘Friend of FIDE’ award, a prestigious FIDE award given to individuals and companies who have made a substantial contribution to promoting chess in the world. FIDE believes that with programs like “Parivartan – Prison to Pride”, the company is reshaping lives, building a society where every pawn has the chance to become a king. The enduring partnership of IndianOil and FIDE embodies the commitment to this noble mission.

FIDE100 Torch Relay in New Delhi, India.

Arkady Dvorkovich and the President of the International School Sport Federation (ISF), Laurent Petrynka, signed a Memorandum of Understanding which aims to incorporate chess in sports events for students organized by the ISF. Chess as a part of ISF Gymnasiade in Manama, Bahrain, from October 23 – 31 to come!

📸Nicolas Launay

FIDE Chess Torch Stop #1 New Delhi. Celebration of FIDE 100 Years Anniversary is fun! .mindmaster .polgar.official

Five years of in office

The past five years at FIDE have been marked by a significant shift in the way the organization is managed and how chess is promoted worldwide.

On October 3 2018 in Batumi, Georgia, at the 89th FIDE Congress, Arkady Dvorkovich was first elected as the President of the International Chess Federation. He won his second mandate in August 2022 at the Congress held in Chennai, India. Dvorkovich succeeded Kirsan Ilyumzhinov (who ran FIDE from 1995) as the head of the world’s governing chess body.

In his final pitch to the delegates in Batumi five years ago, Dvorkovich spoke about restoring dignity and responsibility within FIDE. He promised accountability and cutting bureaucracy, reducing fees from national federations as well as boosting their capacity to develop chess. Since taking over FIDE, Dvorkovich has put together an international team from across the globe and set out to deliver on his ambitions to reform chess on a global scale.

The achievements of the past five years can be encapsulated in key areas:
Modernization and Transparency: Over the past five years one of the primary goals has been to modernize FIDE's management structure and instill transparency. Reforms have been made to improve FIDE's governance, including changes in the electoral process, the establishment of new committees to oversee various aspects of FIDE's operations and independent auditing of the Organization’s finances. Emphasis was put on building a diverse team and upskilling their expertise, to better streamline the planning, organization and ex*****on of major events and activities, ultimately boosting FIDE's credibility and accountability.
A Fivefold Budget Increase: FIDE’s budget has been increased fivefold, all the while reducing fees for national federations and players. A strategic outreach to partners and sponsors worldwide yielded seven-figure sums from broadcasting rights sales. As a result of these connected activities, FIDE's financial position is more stable than ever before.

Enhancing the FIDE World Chess Championships: Since 2018 FIDE has successfully secured sponsors and organized high-profile events. Prize funds for both the World Championship match and the Women’s World Championship match surged, doubling and increasing by 150%, respectively. Increased prize funds, better playing conditions and higher media visibility of top chess events have been one of FIDE’s priorities.

Chess Promotion: With an international team, and thanks to more investment in chess, the International Chess Federation has worked diligently to promote chess worldwide. FIDE has launched and spearheaded initiatives to popularize the game, particularly in schools and among young people. Recognizing chess's educational and social benefits, FIDE has actively participated in chess-in-education programs. Financial support was provided for developing federations, catering to their practical needs, from seminars to travel subsidies and chess equipment.

Promoting Gender Equality: FIDE has introduced initiatives to encourage more female participation. This includes supporting female players, coaches, and arbiters, increasing the number of chess events for women and increasing the prize funds. FIDE has aimed to foster an open debate and address issues related to gender disparities.

Focus on Inclusivity: FIDE has been providing more support for specific groups within the chess community. Special funds and awards for the elderly, programs like Chess for Children with ASD, increased funding for projects aiding people with disabilities, and initiatives like Chess for Freedom (aimed at people in prison) and Chess for Protection (aimed at refugees and the displaced) have demonstrated FIDE's commitment to inclusivity and empowerment.

Digital Transformation: Acknowledging the importance of technology, FIDE has been keen on cooperating with digital platforms. During the COVID-19 pandemic, FIDE joined the chess world in adapting to the new circumstances and organized events online, including two Online Chess Olympiads. FIDE is also working hard on connecting chess to the esports world, looking for new platforms for chess promotion. The development of online chess platforms, streaming of chess events, and engaging with chess enthusiasts through social media and other digital channels have become one of the priorities for any FIDE event.��Hosting Major Chess Events Globally: Over the past five years FIDE has successfully organized major international chess events, such as the Chess Olympiad 2022 in Chennai, Grand Prix tournaments, world championship cycle competitions, and junior events. With a global outlook, FIDE aims to host more chess events in different regions, furthering global chess participation and diversity.

New International Events: Innovative events such as the Grand Swiss, the World Rapid Team Championship, and global tournaments targeting corporations and businesses have significantly elevated the profile of the game, garnered considerable attention and heightened the visibility of chess, attracting more investment.
Arkady Dvorkovich: “We made FIDE better, but the best is yet to come”

Reflecting on the five years since taking office, Arkady Dvorkovich made the following remarks: “The past five years have been a challenging period, not just for chess but for the world as a whole. However, we have transformed FIDE into a chess powerhouse, a beacon for the game's development and promotion worldwide.
“With a fresh perspective centered on modernization, transparency, and global chess promotion, we have succeeded in making FIDE better, and the best is yet to come. We remain committed to promoting gender equality, addressing all disparities within the chess community, and leveraging new technologies to grow the game and attract more players.”

📷 Photos: Anna Shtourman, Lennart Ootes, Stev Bonhage

While the first game of the FIDE Chess Championship 2023 has started, the whole chess world holds their breath and makes their bets. Ian Nepomniatchtchi or Ding Liren?

The FIDE Women’s Candidates final kicks-off in China, Chongqing. Anyone would feel it is tough to face these ladies at a chess game. Lucky this is just a photo moment with Lei Tingjie.

Visited Sudan which welcomed us well. Arab Chess Championship was organized at a great level, officials supporting and endorsing chess. New FIDE Chess Academy is to come, school chess and other social programs expanding & playing level increasing. Development will be supported by top authorities, incl. H.E. Mohamed Hamdzn Daalo, Vicepresident of the Republic of Sudan.

August, 7. Chennai

Winning speeches of FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich and FIDE Deputy President GM Viswanathan Anand

Arkady Dvorkovich:

- Distinguished delegates, fellow Council members and candidates, friends and teammates, ladies and gentlemen!

It is my honor and privilege to stand in front of you today and thank you for all the work you have been doing to improve and expand our chess world, to make our beloved game even more popular among people, beneficial for societies and successful as sport.

It has been our vision and I believe it is shared by all of you. Thank you.

FIDE is my life now. And I know my family is not always happy about that, as I am being away most of the time. But today my family is with me to support something that comes from my heart. I want to continue serving to you, to chess players, to this entire family. And I am really thankful to my wife and my kids being here today. I love you.

I am honoured today to have another chance to present our ideas and continue serving to the entire chess family as FIDE President provided you will support our team. Provided you are willing to be a part of our team.

Vision and desire to serve the global chess community is all what it is about. To formulate a strategy, put together a right team, deliver and keep being passionate about our mission no matter what. Devoting my time, investing knowledge and skills, leading the team forward day by day. That is what I have tried to do over the last four years - and if I largely succeeded - it is due to your support.

Let me focus on 5 key achievements of that period and 5 priorities that we propose for the next term.

First.

FIDE was half-functional at best back in 2018 with no bank accounts, no commercial rights for the World Championship, small budgets heavily relying on fees from national federations, and shortage of qualified staff to run day-to-day activities.

All that has been resolved in the first years of my tenure. We regained all the rights and earned the respect of our partners. FIDE became sustainable and built a proper functioning system allowing us to run most complex projects smoothly, and also to generate an income for much higher budget, which I promised to you back in 2018. We signed broadcasting and sponsorship contracts in a magnitude never seen in FIDE's history.

Time after time we delivered in spite of challenges of pandemic. We never looked for an excuse. We just knew - we have to deliver. And we did.

Second.

Prior to 2019, FIDE could not provide any meaningful support to develop chess in less advanced countries. During these 4 years development support amounted to 8 million euros (including Olympiad travel subsidies that we have managed to double this time). Tournaments, seminars, special projects, educational activities - all this became possible thanks to our dedicated work - in cooperation with national and continental federations.

That allowed to raise more talents, to train more professionals, have non-stop chess activities almost everywhere even despite the pandemic. We are truly unstoppable!

Third.

Before 2019 a gap between women and men in chess has been only growing. That has been reflected in a number of competitions, prize money, participation rates, career opportunities. We have stopped that negative track and made important steps to reverse the situation culminating in Year of Women in Chess today.

Many new top women events were launched initiated or relaunched, prizes grew considerably, and our educational and social programs engage much higher percentage of women. It required a considerable investment from the beginning, but now we see a lot of partners interested in promoting women's chess, and I am happy to see this interest, which will of course be supported by FIDE. We want to help each of our federations to form a women’s team.

Fourth.

Chess is not only about competitive sports. The competitive aspects are just a means to achieve a higher goal: to improve our society by promoting healthy habits and inspiring self-growth. We have launched various initiatives where chess is used for life-long learning, empowering people with disabilities or different abilities, reintegration and talent development.

Fifth.

Chess became a truly visible game in recent years. That is obviously not just thanks to FIDE, but we contributed to it in a large way. Our main events are professionally covered, we started to work closely with major media, we see chess broadcast on popular Internet platforms and TV. That is the work that starts from the grassroots - and our Chess in education program contributes to that - and goes all the way up to the top-notch event like the Match, Candidates tournament or Olympiad, which we witness here in Chennai - and I'd like to thank again All-Indian Chess Federation for this cooperation.

Chess is all over the place. But still not at all places.
Chess is attractive for sponsors. But not enough.
Chess is in Media. But not as much as needed.
Chess is in schools. But not everywhere.

Many success stories, some mistakes as well of course and things still to be done based on your feedback, on your criticism and new ideas. Also, we have to continue to improve our human capacity to run FIDE.

And it is an emotional moment for me now. Since I want to talk about my team. About our TEAM. I am a team player and goalkeeper by nature. And I stood to defend our goal and make sure we are consistently a winning team. Because I really care about each of my teammates.

I am grateful to all my fellow Council members and Management board members as well as Commission Leaders and many other people who worked throughout this period. And I really hope that many of you will remain in the team leading FIDE and chess world forward.

Including one of our top elected officials, our Treasurer, Women World Champion Zhu Chen. The one who has been able to say NO to FIDE President while continuously supporting me throughout the last 4 years.

I will be happy to have in our team two chess enthusiasts and very senior chess professionals, organisers of chess olympiads in Baku amd Tromso - Mahir Mammedov and Joran-Aulin Janssen.

But today I would like to thank in particular an outstanding person, a friend, one of the most popular world champions Mr. Vishvanathan Anand, for agreeing to join me and our r team as Deputy President if elected. He came at the time I needed support and I will never forget it.

- Vishy, the floor is yours. Time control is 3 minutes without increment.

Viswanathan Anand:

- Thank you, Arkady.
Respected delegates, ladies and gentlemen,

It is with great pride that I welcome you to my city, my state, my country, the host of the 2022 chess Olympiad – Chennai. Special congratulations to the Tamil Nadu government, the central government and, of course - All India Chess Federation for this event. I hope you all ar enoying my country's hospitality.

FIDE has evolved a lot. When I first started to interact with it, it was just at the time of the split, and it has steadily become more organised and especially in the last four years I have seen President Dvorkovich and his team make it more streamlined, more porfessional, more transparent, and with the greatest role of its geografically diversified revenues.

This new FIDE organisation was able to cope well with the pandemic, a sudden development which it reacted very nimbly.

The FIDE I want to build should not work with the most powerful federations and players but to be the mouthpiece, to be the voice of all federations and all chess players.

I have known Arkady for many years. In fact, I first met his father. The first Dvorkovich I met was his father. And there is the passion for chess which runs through his whole family. But I've been most impressed by the work of the team for the last four years. Over the last few days I've had the pleasyre to interact with many of you. And I've heard your ideas, your passions, your suggestions for how to take the game forward.

I believe that the role of FIDE should be as an enabler, an amplifier for your ideas, to connect the points across the globe and to grow our sport. We have to be the voice of everyone. As the President said, nothing is too small, nobody is too big. FIDE is the voice of everyone. We should work on women's chess on federations all over the globe, on chess players with disabilities, try to be as inclusive, and grow the game. This is the role I see for FIDE and this is the team that I joined.

Thank you.

Arkady Dvorkovich:

- Taking the floor back let me reflect on concerns that some of you raised during the past few weeks. Concerns about potential reputation risks for FIDE based on the fact that I am Russian and that I worked in the Russian government.

Yes, I am Russian and I have served people of my country. Including to Russian chess community as Board Chairman of the Russian Chess Federation. I have been trying to do it professionally and with highest possible level of integrity. And I took a strong position on the tragic events in Ukraine as well as supported FIDE Council decisions regarding scaling down Russia’s involvement in FIDE. Moreover, while abandoning Russian partners, we have been able to find new ones around the globe, organise this Chess Olympiad and ensure financial stability in FIDE.

It is far from easy for me personally. I hope that chess can re-unite people again. But let me repeat - I am your goalkeeper and I promise to continue devoting myself to this mission and protect our family while making it a happier one as well.

Now, what is next?

What I will describe today is not set in a stone. It is what we believe are some important things to do, but we need a feedback from all of you and chess community in general to polish the strategy and move forward.

Number 1.

FIDE is the international sport federation responsible for running world championship cycles and organising chess olympiads. We are recognised by the International Olympic Committee and we will continue to integrate chess into the Olympic family.

We will keep improving our top events. Not only they generate a large interest for the game - they bring FIDE funds required to invest in all parts of the world.

That shall help us to make FIDE a sustainable institution, financial;y stable and independent on politics.

Number 2.

The digital world provides us with unique opportunities - we have been using some of them, but we could and will do better, because chess deserves it. FIDE already launched several online projects, and we are gearing up towards new major partnerships, leveraging both on the strong positive image chess has earned throughout the centuries - and the ability of chess to cope with new technologies.

Number 3.

We will keep helping national federations. In line with my promise, most of the fees FIDE charged were waived or reduced, but it is not only about that. We will send our best people to help, to train, to share best practices. We will provide chess materials and help to raise a new generation of arbiters, organisers and coaches as well as school instructors.

The excelling children from every federation will be provided with training by inspiring coaches, champions and role-models in our FIDE Academy.

We will expand the program of support for open and other events, thus every national federation - let me stress it again - every national federation could stage an international chess event with titled players. That would generate interest to chess locally, will bring media coverage, and hopefully help to attract financial support from the sponsors and the authorities.

Number 4.

We will keep investing in promoting women's chess. For years, the level of female engagement stood at 10-15 percent. We already see it raising above 20% - but that is not only about the numbers. We will continue creating a friendly environment, we will provide inscentives, we will engage coaches and build programs - and we will make this change to happen. Chess is the game that knows no boundaries. We need to prove it, and to prove it with the dedicated work - and of course with your help.

Number 5.

We will keep promoting an idea that chess is a culture and a tool to improve our societies - more than just a game or a sport. Chess is an excellent tool to develop future skills (like complex problem solving) and socioemotional intelligence.

We that understanding we want at least to double the number of children involved in educational chess.

New initiatives will be launched for life-long learning and active aging.

Inspired by the successful programs in Kenya and Jordan, we shall expand our refugee and chess in slums initiatives.

Chess empowers people with disabilities. Our priority is to organize the First Chess Olympiad for People with Disabilities already this year.

The existing project “Infinite Chess” that is dedicated to children with autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) and already covers more than 12 countries will be complemented with new initiatives for mental health.

Chess facilitates social reintegration and teaches to learn the relationship between the cause and the consequences. Chess for Freedom/Chess in prisons program provides the best evidence for that.

The opportunities of chess serving society are immense, and we shall explore them [with awareness raising, research and pilot activities]. Because FIDE is a socially responsible organization. Because we care.

To conclude, let me tell you a story. Ten years ago, I celebrated my 40th anniversary here in India. And I had quite a few dreams to come true. Most of those came true. I am a happy man with my family, friends, teammates. But I am not happy enough unless you are happy enough. My dream now, again here in India, is to see FIDE, to see our entire chess world as a happy family in 4 years and for decades to come.

After celebrating our 100-year anniversary together in 2 years it should be our joint commitment for future generations. I invite you to this exciting journey, which can be successful only with your support. But not just support. Let's just do it, together!

Today I received the news that the Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the United States has included the Skolkovo Foundation in the SDN list.

Although I served as the Chairman of the Board of the Foundation until March 2022, I have resigned from my position and am no longer affiliated with it in any way.

That being said, during my time in Skolkovo, I always aimed to promote international collaboration and partnership — something I firmly believe in. As FIDE President, I am committed to ensuring the same for our sport. I understand that the political situation is extremely difficult, and I very much hope that the politicians will find a solution that will ensure peace for all those affected.

Respectfully,
Arkady Dvorkovich

We are happy that our team members devote their time and energy to social good.

I am celebrating the season of and together by planting a native tree as my green move – how about you?